RUGBY UNION
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He is one of the Central West’s finest rugby union products and, come tomorrow afternoon, Beau Robinson will make a return to the city that helped launch his career.
The former St Stanislaus’ College star and now Queensland Reds flanker who boasts one Test cap for Australia will be in action at Ashwood Park as a member of the CSU NSW Country Eagles’ National Rugby Championships outfit.
They will be taking on the North Harbour Rays in round nine of the Australian provincial competition and need a win to keep their finals hopes alive.
It will be the first time Robinson has played in Bathurst since graduating from Stannies and his first game in the Central West in many years.
“It’s probably been a fair while since I’ve played a game in the Central West – I played with the Rhinos back in 2008, so it’s been a good while,” Robinson said.
“I am really excited to get out there in Bathurst and have a run, that’s for sure.
“I think a few of the guys are pretty excited to be coming back to play in the Central West. They’ve been getting text messages from their friends and family saying they are going to come and watch, so that’s pretty exciting.
“I’ll have a few blokes I am mates with come and watch, a few guys I used to go to school with. Hopefully we can get a good little crowd out there.”
As well as Robinson, Bathurst’s Charlie Clifton, Parkes prop Andrew Collins and Peter Nau, a man who has played plenty of rugby with the Dubbo Kangaroos, are part of the Eagles squad.
Tomorrow’s match will be Robinson’s fourth in an Eagles jumper, this year marking the first time he has played for NSW Country.
It is an experience he is enjoying, even if the standard is below what he is used to while in the colours of the Reds.
“The standard is okay, it is certainly not Super Rugby, but it’s right where it needs to be,” Robinson said.
“A lot of the guys you play are energetic and enthusiastic.
“I am enjoying it, it is good playing for NSW Country, I am enjoying wearing a NSW Country jumper.
“I suppose because I have that bit more experience I fell into that leadership role a bit yeah, but it’s taken me a while to get back into it coming back from injury.”
The Eagles head into tomorrow’s match sitting sixth on the ladder but they have an opportunity to move inside the top four.
They must win their match against the Rays in order to do so and will be pushing for a bonus point as well.
If they notch up a victory without a bonus point, Robinson and his team-mates need the Sydney Stars to beat Melbourne Rising on Sunday to stay alive.
The Rays, currently in seventh, are also a mathematical chance of playing finals rugby. However, their position is much more tenuous – they need Rising to lose and to beat the Eagles by at least 44 points.
For Robinson, the task ahead is simple – win and win big tomorrow.
He is hoping his knowledge of some members of the Rays squad will help achieve that mission.
“Everyone says we need a bonus point, but that’s not really the case. But anyways, first and foremost we need to win,” he said. “I know a few of those boys because I played with them at Warringah Rats for four or five years.
“Hopefully, I can help identify a few of their weaknesses that we can exploit.”
The National Rugby Championships match between the Eagles and Rays gets underway at 4pm tomorrow at Ashwood Park, with the first of three curtain-raisers to kick off at noon.